Shōyō Asakura
( ) | birthday = | age =2,100+ | gender = Male | height = 186 cm (6'1") | weight = 74 kg (163 lbs) | blood type = O | affiliation = Asakura Clan | previous affiliation = , Shintai Sonjuku, Soul Society | profession = | previous profession = | position = None | previous position = Instructor at the Head-Instructor of the Shintai Sonjuku | division = | previous division = | partner = | previous partner = | base of operations = | relatives = | education = | shikai = Rikōsane | bankai = Not Yet Revealed | roleplay debut = }} is a former instructor at the and the original founder of the Shintai Sonjuku. He was also the second , the successor of . After charges of treason were levied against him, Shōyō was thought dead by his students, having been wrongfully executed by the . This is later proven false upon his reemergence near the Soul Society North Branch. Appearance Shōyō appears as a young despite his age being comparable to the likes of . He has pale skin, brown eyes, and shoulder-length tan-colored hair. He also wears the standard with a black that mimics a Captain's own robes. History Over 2100 years ago, Shōyō was a wandering teacher in the Rukongai, which is how he came to encounter both Seireitou Kawahiru and Raian Getsueikirite. When first founded his , Shōyō was enlisted as one of its earliest instructors. Despite this, he never became a member of the Gotei 13, even after he obtained the title of , succeeding , during the first war against the . Shortly after the war, for unknown reasons, Shōyō defected from the the Genji School, which had become the Shin'ō Academy, and began a school of his own in the Rukongai. The mysterious reasons behind his defection were enough for the to consider him a traitor and call for his execution. Even so, Shōyō avoided arrest and continued to raise his first two students, even as he enlisted more to his new school. Powers & Abilities Zanpakutō : In its sealed state, it resembles a normal with violet hilt wraps. Its only decoration is that its is shaped like a four-pedal flower. Rikōsane is the ancestral Zanpakutō of the Asakura Clan, one of the two remaining Sōzōshin families in . * Shikai: The release command is . The Shikai release of the Zanpakutō does not change its form at all. : Shikai Special Ability: The special ability of Rikōsane is and works very similarly to 's . From the moment that anyone sees the release ritual of the Zanpakutō, they become ensnared in its ability, even after it has been resealed. According to Shōyō, the Shikai has the ability to make a person's dreams and expectations a reality. For example, he states that when he first found Seireitou Kawahiru, the young Sōzōshin desired someone who would both understand him and teach him to control his vast powers. As a result, Rikōsane was able to make it seem as though Shōyō was a kind and benevolent, if not strict, martial arts instructor, allowing him to conceal his true nature. As a result of this, he sought out other orphaned children, like Raian Getsueikirite, with similar dreams, so that rumors of a benevolent, yet powerful, Shinigami instructor would spread. Doing so shaped the expectations of those who would later meet Shōyō, allowing him to ensnare them in his Zanpakutō's abilities as well. But Shōyō's power does not stop there. He can then, if he chooses, manipulated the manifested dreams and expectations in other ways: :* : By calling out this command, Shōyō can subvert his opponent's dreams and expectations by turning them on their head. For instance, an opponent who expects to be able to dodge Shōyō's sword swing will find themselves totally unable to. Shōyō states that this ability is difficult to avoid, as expectations are often not voluntarily formed, but rather happen subconsciously, making them difficult to adjust in the heat of battle. * Bankai: Not Yet Revealed. Trivia * Shōyō is heavily inspired by Yoshida Shōyō and Utsuro from the anime and manga series . Like Shōyō, he acts as a mentor figure for Seireitou Kawahiru and Raian Getsueikirite—very similarly to how mentored and . However, his true nature is later revealed to be that of a villainous with impure intentions for the three worlds, paralleling both Shōyō's Utsuro identity in Gintama and . ** The original Bleach Fan Fiction Wiki incarnation of Shōyō was a more literal copy of Yoshida Shōyō, while this incarnation is only inspired by the anime character. * Shōyō's Zanpakutō's name uses the kanji for meaning "intellectually sharp." Category:Shinigami Category:Rogue Shinigami Category:Souls Category:Males Category:Former Kenpachi